Traffic shaping of cellular service consumption through modification of consumer behavior encouraged by cell-based pricing advantages

Abstract

Changes in wireless service user behavior are encouraged and produced to shape utilization patterns among cells within a rate plan region by using shaping rules which define potential discounts from a standard charge rate under certain cell-specific utilization conditions, analyzing the shaping rules and utilization statistics of a cell upon service initiation, generating a discount from the standard rate for underutilized cells. The user is notified of these discount opportunities using text messages, icons, or other means. Over time, the users learn that at certain places and times, significant discounts are offered, and thus changes their behavior to take advantage of those discounts, thereby shaping traffic in a manner desired by the service provider.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] Not applicable. FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT STATEMENT [0002] This invention was not developed in conjunction with any Federally-sponsored contract. MICROFICHE APPENDIX [0003] Not applicable. INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE [0004] None. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0005] 1. Field of the Invention [0006] This invention relates to technologies and business processes for dynamic cellular phone rate pricing based on cellular traffic patterns, and especially to methods and systems which encourage consumer behavior changes which optimize loading of equipment and return on investment for cellular infrastructure. [0007] 2. Description of the Related Art [0008] Millions of people around the world use cellular phones as a means to talk with one and another and to access to various sources of information. With a cellular telephone, users are able to use an incredible array of features and functions such as storing contact information, m...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0082] The present invention enables wireless service providers to selectively enhance the utilization of cell towers through consumer behavior modification based on dynamically generated market incentives. Our invention allows wireless service providers to use dynamic pricing and discounts correlated to specific cells in which the consumer wishes to use service as a mechanism, in a more effective manner, to affect individual cell tower usage.

Problems solved by technology

While the former approach will consume some power for the search, the latter almost always consumes even more power as transmission of signals is usually a more power intensive operation than simply receiving a signal.

Many wireless networked systems are designed to handle providing continuous service as a unit travels from one cell to another, while other technologies do not provide this functionality.

These plans cost more and also give you fewer airtime minutes per month than similarly priced local plans.

National plans offer even less airtime per month than regional plans and are usually the most expensive option.

Like any other contract with its provisions, should the user decide to cancel before the term of the contract, a steep penalty charge is incurred.

Geographic costs associated with cellular telephone usage include the cost of land lease, towers, switches, and other associated processing equipment, the human costs of cellular company employees, and the costs associated with service levels.

Each of those towers has its own set of costs: cost of leasing the land on which the tower is placed, cost of operating and maintaining the equipment in the tower and base station, etc.

For instance, in a low usage cell, underutilized equipment is a cost, and inversely, in an overly busy area, excessive usage may drive the need for additional bandwidth.

Similarly, newer towers may be more costly than older, depreciated towers.

So, calls handled by this cell under this rate plan actually lose 6 cents per minute.

Often times, though, the newer and more expensive to operate cells are also the most heavily used.

Thus, to meet increasing demand and traffic, carriers are often forced to install new equipment, which often results in a negative revenue generation.

Carriers currently have no means for redirecting calls and services from a higher cost cell to a lower cost cell, especially for cells within the same rate region.

It would be difficult to publish a map of cells within regions to users, especially considering the overlap of coverage between adjacent cells.

Additionally, rate plans are already complicated and many consumers complain about their inability to understand the pricing schemes already employed.

Publishing a rate plan which breaks the fees into cells within regions would further exasperate this problem.

Further, publishing rate plans and brochures is costly, and therefore is only performed periodically by cell phone companies.

It would not be practical, however, to publish a new rate plan brochure or guide daily or weekly in order to update costs of usage by cell.

In some jurisdictions, rate plans must be approved by a regulatory body or agency, which can be costly, timely and laborious to update.

For this reason as well, dynamically changing a rate plan is not desirable.

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